Inspirations at your Fingertips!

 

Tuesday of the 7th week of the Ordinary Season Mk. 9: 30 - 37 The readings teach us to be wary about raw ambitions.  St. James rationalized the destruction of the world as arising from a brazen desire to overthrow the other.  This is where we're going if we don't watch our conduct. Jesus pointed to a child as the model for servanthood:  "Whoever received one child such as this in my name received me." Furthermore, he said, "Whoever wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." What does servanthood do? First, it places us at the service of one another.  More generosity awaites those who serve rather than be served. Second, it makes us humble, realizing that all of us humans are as weak as ourselves and thus, need more caring rather that be neglected upon becuase of our pride. Third, it is a sure mark of our unity with Jesus crucified, "who came not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him...

Friday of the 2nd week of Lent Matthew 21:33-43,45-46 This 17th day of Lent, it is getting more apparent that every reading is pointing to the effects of sin as well as to Jesus' salvific action. Joseph being sold to the Ishmaelites prefigured Judas handing over Jesus to the pharisees for some 30 pieces of silver to be unjustly tried and killed. The end of sin is ultimately death.  It starts with a pleasurable thought, though skewed to please the self and God.  And whatever process it takes, it ends with a violent action against another, belittling human dignity.  Worse, it veers us away from God. But God is magnanimous than any of the sin combined.  God's judgment in the gospel is not a result of his anger but rather, it is a natural consequences of the effect of sin - alienation, punishment, and death. Jesus is much higher than any of these.  "They will respect my son" is a key to resolve this malady - Jesus, "the stone rejected by the builders, ...

Thursday of the 2nd week of Lent Luke 16:19-31 Jeremiah never stressed enough the importance of a life that is entrusted to the Lord; it is always fresh, green, and bearing fruit whereas the life devoid of God is like a heathen plant in the desert. Jesus in the gospel narrates the parable of the the rich man and Lazarus.  Though the rich is filled with wealth, his life is barren, but Lazarus, in yearning for the crusts that fall from the rich man's table is experiencing eternal comfort in heaven. The key to abundance or the lack of it is the heart.  Jeremiah mentioned it adequately, "I, the Lord, search to the heart, I probe the loins, to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve."  The gauge for true life is what is inside it." How do we mold our hearts this Lenten season? First, search what is inside that heart.   The desire that causes it to beat is the gauge of its evilness or goodness.  Let that heart start yearning for God. ...

Ash Wednesday Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 Lent, as it means "length", is preparation for encountering the Lord in his passion, death, and resurrection. We need ample time to develop our relationship with the Lord.  Love needs time to blossom. We also need time to know and be committed to our neighbor.  We need enough time to get to know the Church.  Finally, we need time to understand who we are.  And who are we?  Disciples.  We are not small gods.  We are molded to be followers of Jesus.  We need ample time for that. We need to engage in prayer, fasting, and alms giving to prepare ourselves for this divine encounter. Prayer opens our world to the Lord.  We also need time to engage in prayer with our neighbors and families. Fasting is not just abstaining from meals and food.  We deprive ourselves of the things we love so we can open our hearts to what we can't see; but eventually, we can feel deeply that he's with us. We engag...

God's law Jesus clarified the law: love God above all things and love neighbors as self. What does it mean to love God above all things?  It means two things: to stand by God at all times and to love our neighbors as God loves us. To stand by God means to recognize that everything in this world belongs to him, even our lives.  Thus, the seed of being a steward is already there.

What motivates us? Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 We formally enter the Lenten Season in a spirit of repentance, "Turn away from sin and believe in the Good News." However, we are filled with remorse because of offending Him who loves us.  Imagine how God has loved us and we have given so little back to him. Our lives are led by various motivations.  Eventually, three actions of Lent translate into three motivations of lives.  How we opt to search for God marks the very core of our motivation. First, our motivation is to survive; but we are asked to fast on the things we crave the most.  On fasting, we open our hearts to the Divine Master; He becomes our real food. Second, our motivation is to love.  But Jesus pushes the way we do almsgiving; He wants us to see him in the the poor and the abandoned.  He himself is the poor man. Third, our motivation is to transcend.  But in the world of prayer, it is not for show; God becomes the true reward for pr...

Can we make our own Lenten mission statement?  Certainly, Christ did.  He would suffer greatly, be killed, but on the third day, he would rise again. Our mission statement should lead us to life.  But what is true life?  Jesus said, "He who wants to save his life will lose it.  But he who loses his life for my sake shall find it."  We may be saving our lives here on earth, but we are actually dying.  Notice the signs of death around us.  If we choose real life, we need to offer ourselves to God and others so we may all live in God.  A parent who denies himself or herself of all material comforts to prove a point to his or her children that life with the Lord really matters is actually a source of life for the children. Let's celebrate Lent by entering into the death of our own selfishness so that through our sacrifice, all may life as Christ did.

The night prior to the celebration of Holy Thursday recalls the betrayal of Judas.  It also marks the descent of man away from his true identity in reference to God who created him in His image and likeness.  The effects of sin upon the human heart are far beyond any man could imagine; the death and the horror of sin and the destruction it causes upon every human being in history, at present, and in the future are so much that we choose to feel a total distaste for the world of sin and secondly, to make a firm decision to put an end to its sad influence in the world. On the other hand, there is Jesus and his total adherence to the Father.  Jesus is going to "pass over" from death to life, all for our sake.   His time is at hand; at this time his glory would be proclaimed.  Darkness would give way to Easter morn. On this day prior to the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, commit only one thing: commit to be on His side; commit to join our Lord in...

Thursday of the 2nd week of lent; Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 We have come to rationalize that life is neither black nor white but shades of gray.  Actions are justified as neither moral or immoral.  We appeal in the end that God would understand us in the end. The readings for today are filled with binarisms or opposites - the just and the foolish man, the rich man and Lazarus, the rich and the poor, the sumptuous food above the table and the scraps down below, and heaven and hell. It would thus seem that for God, life is indeed black and white and not shady as we claim.  There are norms that God wants us to live out and sins that he despises. There are only 2 responses to God's offer to us - to accept or reject; to listen to remain dumb; and to be hot or cold in our faith.  Take your pick.  After that, in everything, God is the ultimate judge of all our actions. Choose what will bring us life and salvation.  Choose God.